Evangelism Sunday

   Yesterday morning, instead of our regular church service, we went to the plaza and held a special evangelistic event. We were divided into teams; some of us handed out pamphlets and flowers, others prayed with the people we found in and around the plaza, we offered manicures and hand massages, and we presented dramas and music.

Face painting.

Reading pamphlets.

Manicures and hand massages.

Prayer.

    I was part of the team that gave out flowers, and it was almost funny to see people's reaction when we stopped them - they didn't believe that we were giving the flowers away, and many were reluctant to accept them until we told them clearly that it was a gift. I say it was almost funny, because to me it was sad to see that people really don't expect to be given anything for free; there always has to be a catch. 

 

 

Flower!

    

Come for your balloon! It's free!!

It was also sad for me when we gave out the flowers because we said to each woman that the flower was from someone who loved her very much, and then we asked if she had someone who loved her.   I was expecting everyone to say, "Yes, my spouse, my children, my parents...", but the number of women who didn't have an answer to this simple question was surprising. Maybe the women were embarrassed to be asked this question by strangers, but maybe they really didn't know if they were loved.

Afterwards I thought about our role as Christians and about what Jesus says to us in the Bible, and I thought of what he said the greatest commandments are: first, to love God with everything we are; and second, to love our neighbours as ourselves. How are we doing this in our everyday lives? Are we doing it at all? I know these aren't new questions, or even complicated questions. Sometimes the simple things cost us the most work, but they are the things that matter the most.

   We are hoping to see great results from yesterday's work, and we're hoping to hold another event in a couple of months. I'll keep you posted!